The screams of being hammered to death by the gourd have long since come to an abrupt end.

But like a nightmare, it still echoed in the ears of the ministers at this time.

Just when everyone was shocked.

Zhu Di continued: "Come on, come ...... you?"

This person called Liu Lai, who is quite prestigious in the court, is not only the imperial history, but also ordered to patrol the political envoy of Guangdong, he heard Zhu Di's name, his body was already shocked, and then he showed a look of fear, and fell to the ground with a click.

"Minister...... Minister......"

Liu Lai's voice was filled with despair.

At this moment, of course, he didn't dare to follow the example of the imperial history who was beaten to death, just relying on prevarication, he set aside his relationship, and finally ended up with a dead and no place to be buried.

But...... Fact...... Is that what can be said?

Zhu Di stared at him coldly, and said slowly: "Let's talk about it, whether it's life or death, you can do it yourself." ”

His tone was unexpectedly calm.

At this time, Liu Lai had to say, "Your Majesty...... Your Majesty...... Minister...... Minister...... Say ......"

He said this sentence with difficulty, and the person was already half of the slump, but he said weakly: "The minister went to the political envoy of Guangdong, first to Shaoguan and other places, and after the investigation...... Aware of a lot of problems, many of them recluses, indeed ...... Didn't find out ......"

Zhu Di said lightly: "Why hasn't it been investigated?" ”

Where did Liu Lai dare to hesitate, he could only cry and say with a sad face: "Because...... Donate ......"

Donation ......

Liu Lai continued: "The local gentry, and many meritorious scholars, on the bright side, the imperial court ...... Indeed, he decreed that they should be exempted from ......"

"Naturally, there are rules for exemption, how many acres of land can be exempted from taxes, and how much can Xiucai be exempted...... The norms of its own laws. It's just that...... It's just that...... If it is only exempt from 100 acres of land, it is actually ...... Actually...... It's a drop in the bucket. ”

Zhu Di squinted his eyes slightly, and his face became more and more gloomy.

Speaking of which, the Ming Dynasty can be regarded as giving great preferential treatment to scholars, not only can they be famous and can enter the court as officials, but also have a lot of preferential treatment in taxes and other aspects.

But when Emperor Taizu Gao made the rules, he was by no means a fool, how could he let a scholar with a reputation for his own land be exempted from taxes without restraint?

Therefore, the number of exemptions from taxation is set in order to prevent this from happening.

Zhu Di said: "Donating land, is it that the local people, in order to also enjoy the exemption of taxes, put themselves into the name of meritorious people, so as to avoid taxes and forced labor?" ”

"Yes...... It's not ......," Liu Lai said: "The reason why it is not is because the land that can be exempted from taxation is limited, and so many people have donated their land, and the amount of tax exemption has long been far exceeded." ”

"But what if you say so...... However, it is because, although the number is exceeded, because the person has a meritorious name, and can collude with the local parents and officials, he can simply include the person who contributed into his own family, so that it is clear that there are dozens or hundreds of households, but in the end they become one household...... And this family, with a public name, can exempt the lower households from taxes and servitude on the one hand, and at the same time treat them as their own slaves, which is ...... That's why there is the problem of hermit and hermitage......"

Zhu Di listened, and the corners of his lips hooked a sneer, only feeling ridiculous.

The so-called preferential treatment, in fact, has become an opportunity for many people to make profits.

At this time, Zhang Anshi added on the side: "The minister has also heard some rumors, saying that it is in the locality, but if someone becomes famous, there are many people who are willing to sell themselves to him as slaves and servants, or some people also donate their own land. Even this scholar, a few days ago, may have been hungry and cold, but after he became famous, he could have thousands of acres of fertile land and a group of slaves in an instant. Such a situation is not obvious in Zhili, because after all, it is at the feet of the Son of Heaven, but in many places, it has become a common practice......"

Zhu Di smiled coldly again, and then said: "Okay, it turns out that there is a golden house in the book, and it is true." Liu Lai, since you found out the problem, why don't you play? ”

Facing Zhu Dichen's cold gaze, Liu Lai tried hard to suppress the horror in his heart, and hurriedly said: "After the minister noticed many problems, everywhere he passed, there were all local parents, officials, gentry, and scholars who wholeheartedly welcomed them...... There are also some friendships......"

Zhu Di said: "National affairs, only some personal friendship can be abandoned? ”

Liu Lai was even more frightened, and said in a panic: "No...... Not just that, but ...... But...... I can't mess with it...... I can't be messed with......"

"Can't be provoked?" Zhu Di smiled: "You can't mess with him, but you can provoke me?" ”

Liu Lai drooped his head and said with difficulty: "If the minister ignores the scholars, then the scholars will be abused, and the ministers will be regarded as chaotic ministers and thieves, and they will have a bad reputation from now on. But if it is...... and he who covers them, and he who hides is not the only one......"

Zhu Di couldn't help laughing, this smile was a little desperate, but said: "You can calculate this account clearly." ”

Liu Lai said with a bitter face: "The local parents and officials are probably the same, if they are too strict, they will inevitably be hated by the local scholars, and the official reputation will inevitably suffer a huge impact." But if it is...... If they follow their wishes, they will be praised by others, and everyone will say that they are blue sky, and even when they leave office, they will inevitably send many people to each other and present the umbrella of the people. How can parents and officials not be able to distinguish between right and wrong? ”

"As for Your Majesty...... Your Majesty......, Your Majesty you are too far away...... Not to mention the arrival of the magistrate, except for the lowly officials, that is, those ignorant people, if the magistrate offends the scholars, he will not even have a person to speak to in the locality, and all he can make friends with is the scholars and the squires, or discuss the current situation, or play chess, and ask for calligraphy and painting, and so on...... Nature...... Nature is ......"

Under Zhu Di's sword-like gaze, Liu Lai can be regarded as shaking everything out.

In fact, what he said is nothing more than a sentence, in the final analysis, it is just a circle, everyone is in their own circle, and they will only value the evaluation of themselves by the people in this circle, whether it is the imperial history or the arrival of the parents, the lowly officials they should beware, ordinary people, say something ugly, between each other, may not even be able to understand the language, it can be said that the chicken and the duck speak, and can speak a mouthful of official language, and you have the same interest, can ask for teaching and piano, chess, calligraphy and painting so elegant, in addition to scholars, who else can there be?

All your deeds will be influenced by them, and your reputation and reputation will be closely related to them.

Not to mention, within a government and a county, there are not a few relatives of these scholars who are officials outside, and they have marriages with each other, which can be said to be both prosperity and loss, and their energy is by no means under the same parental official and imperial history, it is really to provoke a hurry, but it is a lose-lose result.

Liu Lai's eyes were both frightened and desperate at this time, tears fell like rain on his face, and he said: "Your Majesty spares your life, minister...... Minister...... Whoever deceives His Majesty is not a minister, but a minister...... Since the minister entered the court, it has been regarded as a prudent industry...... Minister......"

When he said this, he couldn't help but cry out loud.

I don't know if it's because of fear, or fear, or ...... Born with a sense of shame.

Zhu Di couldn't help but moisten his eyes in the midst of this cry.

Zhang Anshi couldn't help but be stunned, he never expected it...... Zhu Di's reaction today is so abnormal.

saw Zhu Di sigh and said, "Liu Lai is a good official......"

This sigh of emotion...... At first, Zhang Anshi listened to it, which seemed to be sarcastic, but when he looked at Zhu Di's face, it seemed to be ...... It's a sincere emotion.

So, Zhang Anshi soon came to his senses.

Liu Lai is a person...... is indeed a good official, he is a second-class jinshi in high school, and after that, he first participated in the compilation of the "Literature Dacheng", which is said to be ...... In this process, he can be described as forgetting to sleep and food, and he is very responsible.

Therefore, he quickly entered the Imperial Court and became the imperial historian, in the process of this imperial history, he also had a lot of recitals, but there were also a lot, which was about mercy for the local people and cut into the evils of the country.

At least...... Before today, he was definitely a clear stream, whether it was for Zhu Di or for his colleagues in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, it could be called a meticulous profession with high hard work.

It is not an exaggeration to say that he is a good official.

Zhu Di can directly say Liu Lai's name, obviously Zhu Di himself has a very good impression of this imperial history, and even belongs to the emperor's future cultivation object, with Zhu Di's vision, Liu Lai will definitely not be an unknown person in the future.

And the reason why Zhu Di is so emotional is probably that his heart is like ashes and all his thoughts are burning.

Such a good official, even if it is the same, cannot eradicate such a stubborn disease as a hidden household, and such an iron-clad person has to collude with the local scholars and parents and officials, choosing to compromise and conceal the truth of the facts.

So...... Even Liu Lai is like this, what about the others?

Zhu Di's pessimism is almost conceivable.

When Liu Lai heard these words, he couldn't cry for a long time, so he had to grab the ground with his head and shout in mourning: "The sin of ten thousand deaths, the sin of ten thousand deaths......"

A voice with grief in it!

Zhu Di stood up at this time, with a thick sadness in his eyes, waved his sleeves, and said: "Wait, everything should be punished, everything should be killed...... But if I wait for all of you, will there be anyone in the world? ”

Zhu Di's heartache is obvious!

Instead, Zhang Anshi blinked his eyes and lost no time in saying, "Your Majesty...... Minister......"

Zhu glanced at Zhang Anshi sideways, took a deep breath, and the sadness in his eyes seemed to be a little less at this moment, and said, "Fortunately...... Fortunately, there are still people like Zhang Qing and Hu Qing in this world, if not...... Da Ming's breath is exhausted, and even if he can survive for a long time, he is just a walking corpse. ”

After a pause, Zhu Di glanced at the warehouse, sighed, and continued: "What the state capital of the world can't do, the postal department can sort it out in an orderly manner after a few months of hard work, so what's the use of the imperial court placing hundreds of officials?" ”

No one dared to respond to this questioning.

Zhu Di set his eyes on a person at this time, and said, "Xie Qing...... How so? ”

Xie Jin, who was suddenly named, immediately put away the appearance that had nothing to do with himself.

In fact, in this matter, Wen Yuange has the responsibility, but it is not much.

Of course, it's not that there is no responsibility, but compared to these parents and officials who are disobedient to the lower levels and the imperial historians of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, this responsibility is already very light.

After all, their names are Zaifu, but in fact they are not really Zaifu, all they can do is to constantly convey the emperor's will and give some admonitions.

Xie Jin didn't hesitate for too long, and said: "Your Majesty, the documents of the Post Department should be transcribed immediately, not only to the household department, but also to the Wenyuan Pavilion and the Hanlin Academy for storage. It's just that...... What the minister was worried about was, what if there were any changes in the documents of the Post Office in the future? ”

No one expected Xie Jin to suddenly ask this!

This is also Xie Jin's cleverness, at this time, he raised a new question, not only diverted Zhu Di's attention, but I am afraid that those imperial historians who have been silenced by the Imperial Procuratorate are not without gratitude to Xie Jin at this time.

Zhu Di squinted, it was obvious that solving the actual affairs at the moment was the most important thing, he lowered his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "If there is a change, just submit it in time, the Ministry of Education and the Post Department...... Communicate with each other at any time. ”

But immediately, Zhu Di groaned again.

If the situation of the hidden household is handed over to the Post Office, this Post Office, after all, is only a yamen under the Ministry of Railways, but it needs to bear such a major involvement. At the same time, it is necessary to connect with a large hall such as the household department, and there are some words that have not been explained thoroughly.

Because as long as it takes a long time, a large ministry like the household department will inevitably not necessarily take the small post office in its eyes, and eventually ...... This postal department may have to act in the eyes of the Ministry of Households.

Then the situation of the Yellow Book may be distorted at any time.

seemed to see Zhu Di's worries, and Xie Jin said: "Your Majesty, you might as well worship the Postal Department Transit Envoy as the secretary, I don't know what Your Majesty thinks?" ”

As soon as these words came out, the eyes of Yang Rong, Jin Youzi and others all subconsciously looked at Hu Mu.

Even Hu Guang was already stunned at this time.

The so-called Qing, in fact, means that the post department is simply upgraded to one of the nine secretaries, just like Honglu Temple and Dali Temple, its specifications are naturally better, and their chief has changed from the transit envoy to the post department, and also belongs to the ranks of the nine secretaries.

Jiuqing and the ministries are not subordinate to each other, although Jiuqing's official position is higher than that of ordinary Shangshu, but in fact, it has a strong independence.

For example, the relationship between the Criminal Department and Dali Temple, the Criminal Department Shangshu is the second product, and the Dali Temple Qing is the third product, but in fact, the Criminal Department is responsible for the world's criminal prisons, and the Dali Temple reviews many cases in the Criminal Department, as well as the trial of officials' crimes. Therefore, to a certain extent, Dali Temple even has a certain right to supervise the criminal department.

This is actually very consistent with the original intention of the so-called small to control the big when Emperor Taizu Gao.

And once the Post Department is listed as one of the Nine Secretaries, then almost many of the Post Divisions have the authority to play the emperor, and within the Post Department, many people are only afraid that they will also be added to the ranks.

As for the impact on Hu Mu, it is even greater, Jiuqing, who is the youngest of the Ming Dynasty so far, and is in charge of the affairs of a government office, and at the same time has the right to go to the court and see the driver.

After Zhu Di heard this, he also showed a little surprise at Xie Jin's proposal.

I saw him raise his eyebrows lightly, looking thoughtful, but soon, he said, "Yes!" It's just that...... This post office ......"

Speaking of this, he paused, and began to think about it, both listed as Jiuqing, that is, in the future, the Ming Dynasty will have ten qing, and the treatment has been improved, what Zhu Di is worried about is...... The problem of money and food.

It's just that his voice fell.

At this time, he was about to deal with the imperial history of the Metropolitan Inspectorate ruthlessly, but suddenly, a noisy voice was faintly heard in the distance.

Zhu Di's mood at this time was actually not very good, he looked displeased, frowned, and said, "What's the matter?" ”

Yisha hurriedly went out, came back after a while, and said, "Your Majesty, there are many merchants gathered at the corner of the street, and there is a long queue outside. ”

Zhu Di looked at Hu Mu and said, "Hu Qing, why is this?" ”

Hu Mu suddenly remembered something, and then said, "Your Majesty...... Probably because of ...... Because ......"

Things happened too fast, and Hu Mu himself didn't think about how he became Jiuqing, so Hu Mu's heart couldn't help but be nervous, and he hurriedly said: "It's because ...... The Post Office has some business that is not yet perfect, so that it ...... Some of the business of the Post Office had to be handled by someone in the office of the Post Office......"

"Business ......" Zhu Di muttered, as if he had found something in an instant, and then said, "What business?" ”

Hu Mu looked ashamed, but still said, "It's about...... Newspaper's ......"

"Newspaper ......" Zhu Di said slightly: "You still sell newspapers in the post office?" ”

Hu Mu shook his head and said, "No, no, no, it's not selling newspapers...... It's because ...... Because there are newspaper kiosks all over the world, plus ...... After the business of sending newspapers again, under the explanation of His Royal Highness King Song, the sales of this newspaper have been rising! Nowadays, the number of newspapers ordered by the Post Department is as high as one million every month, and in addition to Zhili, there are not a few people who subscribe to newspapers in all states and counties in the world, and even in many villages. ”

Zhu Di listened, and at this time...... The haze in his heart was finally cleared a little, and even his face suddenly eased a lot, but he said with interest: "A million copies? This is not a minority, how much silver can be earned by this million newspapers? ”

Hu Mu glanced at Zhang Anshi quickly, and then smiled bitterly: "It's not profitable." ”

Zhu Di: "......"

The daily order reached one million, but it was unprofitable, which couldn't help but make Zhu Di have some doubts about his life, and he suddenly showed a tasteless look.

Of course, what made Zhu Di even more unexpected was behind!

I saw that Hu Mu immediately said: "But...... The profit lies not in the newspaper, but in the ...... Stuff in the newspaper. ”

(End of chapter)